Voting booth



June 17, 1941*. K. T. NoRRls VOTING BOOTH Filed Sept. 26, 1958 Patented June 17, 1941 unire STATES ear-nm osi-ice 2,245,705 Lvornre noorn enneth T. orris, Los ngeles, .aiiZ 'app-irrationseptember 26, reels', serilNo. 231,768 '1.Cl'aim. (Cl. .Z0-3) This invention relates to improvements in voting booths of the type wherein a collapsible metal'frame, together with canvas curtains and shelves are combined to form a plurality of booths, said structure being foldable into small compass when not in use.

The present invention deals primarilywith the construction and arrangement of shelves and means for. supporting them in connectionwith the other structural elements of the booth unit, said shelves being of themselves foldable `and serving together with the means for detachably connecting them with the frame structure to assist in holding the canvas curtains in proper position and to also strengthen and reinforce. the entire structure.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to pro# vide a voting booth or other structure, wherein the shelves may be quickly andv easily mounted upon and detached from the frame of said structure and yet securelyheld against accidental dislodgment.

A further object is to provide in a voting booth of the character described, a novel and simple, one-piece shelf bracket which may be quickly and easily mounted upon and detached from the frame structure, and when in position of use, affords a quick and easy mounting of a shelf thereon with the latter held against tilting, rocking or unintentional movement out of position.

I have shown a preferred form of a voting booth in the accompanying drawing, embodying my invention, subject however, to modification within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary perspective view of a voting booth constructed in accordance with this invention, with parts such as the closure flaps being omitted, for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the shelves and the supporting means therefor, showing the manner of mounting the shelf on said means.

Fig. 3 represents a sectional view taken on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 4, particularly showing the manner in which the shelves, shelf supporting brackets and canvas curtains are related.

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the shelf supporting brackets and associated elements particularly showing the manner of mounting the brackets on the frame structure.

Fig. 5 representseJ fragmentaryperspective view of one `of the shelves as when folded.

Fig. 6 represents a yfragmentary perspective view of one of the standards of the frame' structure showing the mannerof aperturing the same for reception of .the shelf brackets. j

One form of the invention, asshovvnin detail in the accompanying drawing, comprises a col- Vlapsible metal frame structure A, canvas or like fabric curtains B, C and D, andshelf structures E, F, Gand H, in an arrangement such that there willbe provided .as one unit, four vot-ingbooths designated J, Ii, L and M. l i

TheA frame structure A is preferably made of light metal members in lan arrangement such that itmay be readily collapsed into small compass when not in use, to facilitate shipping and storing thereof Likewise, the shelf structures and4 canvas curtainsl are foldable into small compass for the same purposes. I

As Yhere shown the frame v,structure A comprises primarily four upright A,angle iron-standards I, 2, 3l and/4 joined vbya plurality ofA horizontal or cross bars 5v so as to fornjn a substantially rectangular frame structure. These bars are preferably pivotally or hingedly connected as at 6 and are held in operative position by suitable pivoted braces l in an arrangement such that the entire structure may be readily collapsed and set up as desired. Certain of the cross or connectingbars 5 are provided with extensions 8, 8, 9, 9, and l, I0 which support the canvas curtains K, L and M whereby to form the four booths, as particularly shown in Fig. 1. The canvas curtains are provided with hooks I adapted to be mounted upon the bars 5, 8, 9 and I0.

The invention hereof primarily deals with the shelf construction and while the frame structure here shown for forming the booths is particularly well adapted to the present invention, it is to be understood that any frame or shelf supporting structure for forming a booth will make possible the use of the improved shelf structure of and in accordance with this invention.

Each -of the shelves E, F, G and H is made up yof like halves or sections Il and i 2 of wood or other suitable material hingedly connected so that Ithey may be extended in ycoplanar relation or folded `one upon the other. Angle hinge bars I3 and I4 are secured by suitable fastenings I5 to the ends of the shelf sections H and I2, as particularly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, so that the inner ends of said bars will overlap. The lbars I4 are provided with outwardly offset inner ends I6 which overlie the corresponding ends of the bars I3 and are pivoted lthereto as by means of the pivot pins I'l which may be riveted in place. This provides a hinge joint whereby the sections may be folded and extended.

At the outer ends of the bars I3 and I4 are headed pins I8 and I8 which are disposed adjacent the inner and outer longitudinal edges of the shelves and are .adapted to engage in slots I9 and 2l) formed in bracket plates 2l adjacent the inner and outer ends thereof. These bracket plates are provided at their inner ends with hookshaped lugs 22 adapted to engage in slots 23 formed at the standards I, 2, 3 and 4 whereby the inner edges of the plates will abut the standards and the brackets will be securely supported in place. The slots I9 are vertical to provide for a ready insertion of the pins I8 therein, whereas the slots 2 are L-shaped or bayonet type so that the pins I8 must be inserted vertically and then moved laterally into locked position therein. After the bracket plates 2I are mounted upo-n the standards in proper position and the shelves `are unfolded, the pins I8 are inserted in the slots 20 and moved horizontally inwardly into locked position whereupon the pins I8 are lthen l automatically positioned so that as the inner edges of the shelves are lowered, pins I8 will engage in the slots I9. When thus positioned the front edges of the shelves are locked against being accidentally lifted from the brackets, due tothe bayonet slots 20 and the position of the pins I8 therein. To remove the shelves the inner ends thereof are lifted so that the pins I8 will be free of the slots I9, whereupon the shelves may be moved bodily forwardly to dispose the pins I8 in registration with the vertical portion-s of the slots 20 and the shelves may then be lifted clear of the brackets. Preferably the curtains lare interposed between the brackets andthe ends of the shelves, as particularly shown in Fig. 3,1and therefore said curtains are provid-ed with eyelets 25 to accommoda-te the pins IB and I8'. The pins are extended thru these eyelets and then engaged in the slots I9 and 20 as aforesaid. This holds the canvas curtains in the desired position to form the booths.

It should be noted that the standards I and 2 have certain of the apertures 23 therein arranged to receive pairs of bracket pla-tes 2I which extend from opposite sides of the standards for the shelves E and G, as shown in Fig. 4. Each of the standards is preferably formed with the apertures 23, in the arrangement vas particularly shown -in Fig. 6, for convenience of manufacture.

It will now be seen that I provide a voting booth structure which will be particularly efficacious by reason of the shelf construction of this invention and in that said shelf construction facilitates a quick and easy setting up of the booths and reinforces the frame structure of the booths, while at the same time affording a stable writing surface, the shelf being prevented from dislodgment, should the forward end of the shelf be struck upwardly or otherwise.

VWhile the shelf and supporting means thereof are particularly adapted to Voting booths it is seen that they may be used in other arts and on other shelf supporting structures wherein apertured members will accommodate the mounting of the shelf brackets and shelves in accordance with this invention.

I claim:

. A shelf supporting structure, a curtain thereon having openings therein, a shelf, pins on said shelf extending thru said openings, and brack- -ets carried by said structure and having slots for reception of said pins, certain of said slots and pins being respectively located adjacent the o-uter ends of said bracket and the outer longitudinal edge of said shelf and said certain slots being of the bayonet type to prevent accidental dislodgment of said shelf from said bracket, the other of said slots and pins being disposed adjacent the inner edge of the bracket and said other slots being substantially straight and opening upward ly at the upper edges of said brackets.

KENNETH T. NOR-RIS. 

